Behind the Full Moon
by BeautifulMessenger
Summary: This is a companion to "Full Moon Rising" - additional chapters from Jasper's point of view. It's best to read "Full Moon Rising" first, but these chapters can also stand on their own.
1. The Forger

** This is the night Jasper heads off on his own to track down a forger for Alice. Chapter twenty-seven of Full Moon Rising, "Forger", shows this from Alice's point of view.**

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Alice's silky mouth pressed softly into mine, her arms wrapped tenderly around my shoulders, her warm fragrance wafting over my face. Her lips parted invitingly and I felt the familiar ache of desire building within her, mirroring my own, like twin flowers blossoming in the snow.

I sighed and released her, not surprised at her frown and small pang of disappointment.

I smiled warmly down into her tawny eyes. _Not quite yet, you beautiful, irresistible creature. _I didn't say the words out loud. I wondered what would happen if I did.

I knew what she wanted from me, what she was _begging_ of me almost constantly. She wasn't begging with words, or even with her actions, but with something far more persuasive, something I couldn't lightly ignore: her _emotions_.

And it wasn't even that I was reluctant to give her what she wanted. Quite the contrary. I ached to answer every unspoken question of her heart. I burned to unite us in every way physically possible. My thoughts circled continuously around ideas of her in my arms – trembling with pleasure, tasting my venom, and moaning my name – to the point that I wondered if it was possible for a vampire to literally go insane.

But I had a better idea. One that, I was absolutely certain, would make Alice even happier than giving in and physically claiming her at the very next opportunity. No plans yet. Definitely no plans. I couldn't have anything decided, not if it was going to be a surprise. And if she were to ever bring up this particular subject in conversation, I was firmly set against mentioning my idea to her.

Alice gazed up at me, her mood a mingling of speculation and frustration. But she was not truly displeased. The corner of her mouth turned up in a small wry smile, probably feeling the desire roaring and thrashing inside of me.

I grinned back briefly in parting, then leapt away into the dark shadows, bounding quickly out of the town.

I was off on a quest for my lady, like an armor-clad knight of old. Most men got their girls flowers, or jewelry, or perhaps a puppy to show their love. My Alice wanted legal documents. I chuckled to myself as I raced north alongside the freeway, just out of sight of the motorists.

I had a notion of how to go about this task. Human circles naturally fell into tiers of influence. Each tier got smaller the higher up in authority it was, but they were all still connected. I just had to find the right circle and work my way up until I found who I was looking for.

The dull grey evening slowly dimmed into shades of amethyst invisible to human eyes. I moved closer to the road and ran more swiftly, sprinting north until I made it to the outskirts of Indianapolis.

Now to find the right circle. What kinds of people might need forged legal documents? Gangsters? Drug smugglers? Black market traders?

I wandered onto the streets, keeping to the darkest, most destitute environs: the underbelly of the city. The buildings displayed boarded-over windows and broken glass. The damp streets were dirty, littered with trash. Even the pavement was cracked and strewn with potholes. There were plenty of "working women" and drug dealers in this area. The harlots would not be helpful. But the dealers might be.

I was a little surprised at how easy it was for me to ignore their scents. Even tainted with the bitter aftertaste of the drugs and alcohol, it used to be much more difficult for me to wander at night in areas such as this and resist feeding. Perhaps it was because I was well-fed tonight. Or perhaps it was that I was distracted with a task.

I noticed someone approach a drug dealer on the corner opposite me. The newcomer's scent was clean, though; he apparently didn't use the product himself. I paused in my stroll, pretending to check the time while I listened to their conversation.

The newcomer, Lenny, seemed to be checking on the progress of the man peddling his wares. The street dealer placed an order for more, and the two hurriedly parted ways.

Ah, I'd found my circle. Time to move up the tiers.

I followed Lenny from the shadows, getting ahead of him and timing my pace so I could intercept him in a relatively quiet part of the street. It was eerily reminiscent of hunting. I had to remind myself that I wasn't after this man's blood.

"Excuse me," I said in my soft non-scary voice, coming up behind him. He jumped a little anyway, he hadn't noticed me stalking him.

They never did.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"I'd like to know who you work for. Who runs the drug operation in this part of town?"

As I spoke I sent a powerful wave of calm and happiness through the air. I knew there was no way Lennie would just cough up the information point blank if he were in his right mind.

"Uh, well. I don't know if I ought to..." he mumbled lethargically. Maybe I'd overdone the calmness a little bit.

I concentrated, erasing his doubt and adding a touch of brotherly affection.

"Oh, you don't need to worry. I'm not a copper. I'm just looking for someone who can help me with a little problem."

"Huh, is that right? Well, Cornelius is our main supplier."

"Perfect. Can you tell me how I might contact Cornelius?"

"Sure, do you have a pen? I can write down his telephone number and address for you."

"I'll remember it."

He rattled off the number and address. I thanked him and left at a quick human pace. Lennie watched me go, confused, blinking and dazed.

I didn't want to make a phone call. I needed to find this "Cornelius" tonight, and soon. So I ran to the address Lennie had provided me, keeping to the shadows the whole way.

The house I came to was large and in a nice neighborhood. But the windows were all dark and there were no sounds of human activity inside.

I growled in frustration.

I darted into the back yard, scaled the wall to the second story, slid a window open and slipped inside.

I found myself in a bedroom. The full-sized bed was made, the carpeted floor was clean, there was a pine dresser with a large mirror, and predominantly a single human scent. He must live alone.

I crept out of the bedroom into the hallway and started snooping around, hoping I could find some clue as to where Cornelius had gone tonight.

The room adjacent to the bedroom seemed to be an office. On his desk was a small notepad-style calendar. There was a note for today scrawled on the paper.

_Meet Sam, 8:00 The Catalina_

I flipped quickly through the phone directory on the desk and found an establishment named "The Catalina." It was a formal Jazz club located only a couple of miles from his house.

I knew where he was. I knew his name. And I had is scent. I would find him.

I hurried out of the house and across town to The Catalina. There was a line out front when I arrived, but I knew how to handle that. I greeted the bouncer with a very profitable handshake. He was surprised and wary, instinctively sensing the danger I presented, but he let me pass through unchallenged.

Tonight, for once, I was grateful that Alice insisted on dressing me as though I were a full-sized, three-dimensional paper doll. I might not have made it inside if I'd been in old, worn, dirty clothes that didn't fit well.

The warm nightclub was thick with human scent, smoke, and jazz music. Many of the humans were gathered around the bar at the back of the room. I wandered that direction, thinking I might catch Cornelius' scent among the group. Most of the humans made way for me, parting like a school of fish from a shark. But he wasn't there.

"Well aren't _you_ darling!" a slurred female voice crooned loudly. I turned my head and saw a middle-aged blond woman staggering slightly while she reached up and wrapped her warm, bare arms around my neck.

"I beg your pardon, ma'am," I mumbled, holding my breath against her scent, flames erupting in my throat. I shifted uncomfortably away from her and de-tangled her soft groping arms from my person. She didn't even seem to mind the icy, diamond-hard skin of my neck.

"You are about the finest specimen of manhood I have ever seen!" she gushed, tripping over her own feet. I automatically held out my hand to steady her so she wouldn't fall. She seemed in a rather unsteady state of mind, probably due to the high percentage of alcohol in her blood. It couldn't be helping matters that she was wearing three-inch heels.

"Leave the poor man alone, Luiza," another man at the bar griped. "You're probably old enough to be his mother."

"Mmmm. I don't care," Luiza cooed, taking a drag from her cigarette. "Do you want to come home with me now, sugar? Or do you want to dance first?"

Under other circumstances I might have found this situation somewhat amusing. As it was I was just hoping, fiercely, that Alice wasn't watching right now.

"I'm sorry to say that I have a prior engagement, ma'am. I'm looking for someone."

Luiza leaned back into the bar, still smiling suggestively.

"Who you lookin' for, handsome?"

"A man named Cornelius."

"Connie?" Her watery eyes narrowed derisively and she snorted. "What do you want with that old toad?"

"Is he here?"

She pouted and nodded her head in the direction of a table at the other end of the wide room, near the stage.

"Thank you, ma'am." I smiled and bowed politely in parting.

I wove my way through the large round tables spaced evenly throughout the floor, towards the corner that Luiza had indicated.

I caught his scent easily then. He was a rather large, balding man with a black mustache, wearing an expensive wool suit.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you Cornelius?" I spoke loudly so he could hear me over the jazz music blaring from the instruments on stage.

He looked up at me, a little warily. "Who wants to know?"

"I do. I'm hoping you can help me with a problem."

"Not giving out loans anymore," he stated, gruffly.

"I'm not looking for one," I insisted, starting to feel a little irritated. I pulled out the seat next to him and sat down.

He eyed me speculatively for a second. Then he leaned in and grumbled quietly. "Look, if you need some jive, talk to one of my boys outside. I don't deal directly."

"I know. That's not what I need either. I'm looking for someone who can help me with...let's say, creating a new identity."

Fear spiked in him. He leaned back and appraised me again with narrow eyes.

"Can't help you."

"I can pay you handsomely for the information."

"Sorry, you'll have to ask someone else."

He was keeping something from me. I could feel it. And my patience was wearing thin. It was time to take things to the next level.

I glared at him, letting my true nature show a little. "Listen, sir. I've gone through a great deal of trouble to ask you for help with something. I will not turn you or any of you comrades in to the police. I need legal documents, the best available. If you know where I can acquire these, you had better tell me or..." I fed a powerful surge of terror into him and made my expression fierce. "...you _will_ regret it."

His heart was suddenly racing in a very appetizing manner. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He stared at me, eyes wide.

"I promise," I said. My voice was smooth and serious. I sent another surge of terror into him.

His hand trembled as he pulled a business card out of his wallet and handed it to me.

"Judge Walsh, in Chicago... D...don't tell him I'm the one who sent you."

"Of course not. You have my gratitude." I slipped the card into my pocket and wove my way back towards the door.

Luiza, still leaning against the bar, winked and licked her lips at me from the other side of the room. I closed my eyes and suppressed a shudder, wishing that I didn't have to have that image burned into my memory forever.

I slipped into the shadows as soon as I was able to and raced further north, following the freeway to Chicago.

It was easy enough finding the courthouse where Judge Walsh worked. But the building was closed for the night, and his home address and phone number were not written on the business card.

I found a small unlocked window and wormed my way into the building. There was a directory posted on the wall. I found the office for "Hon. Patrick Walsh" and, unfortunately, was forced to do a little damage to the doorframe to break into it.

His office was quite large and impressive. Leather furniture, solid oak desk, certificates of higher education framed on the walls. Finally, while rummaging through the trash bin, I found a piece of mail addressed to the honorable judge at his home address.

I made sure everything in his office was as I'd found it, with the exception of the cracked doorframe, and went back out through the small window.

I was nearly finished. I could feel it. I raced to the address, running across rooftops when I could get away with it.

The building I came to was nearly a mansion. It had an expansive green lawn out front with a gated entry to the wide driveway.

I tried the gate, but it was locked. I debated with myself for a moment, then lightly climbed over the wall and bounded up to the front door. There were sounds of a family enjoying a late meal together coming from inside.

I knocked.

"What the devil?" a man grumbled in an Irish accent. A chair scraped across the floor. Heavy feet stomped across hardwood. The door opened.

The man blanched when he saw me at first. Then seemed to collect himself.

"Who the blazes are you? And how did you get past the gate?"

"My name is Jasper, sir. And I climbed over. I apologize for interrupting your evening, but I need you to help me with something."

"Now wait just a second! You can't go barging into people's private property like that! I have half a mind to call the police and have you arrested!"

"I have it from a reliable source that you are a good man to ask if I'm in need of high-quality forged legal documents."

His heart jumped in his chest, then picked up double time. My mouth watered. All this contact with humans was starting to wear me down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he whispered.

"Yes you do."

"Who sent you?" he asked, still breathless.

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Are you one of Sam's boys?" I didn't even need to terrify this man. He was doing it all on his own.

"No."

He calmed a bit. "Who are you?"

I smiled. "That's what I'm here to see you about."

"Who's that at the door, dear?" a woman called from the dining room.

He rushed me inside and into his library. He had me wait for a moment while he went to argue with his wife about colleagues coming to socialize at such late hours.

When he rejoined me he was agitated, wringing his hands and pacing back and forth in the room. He was reluctant to cooperate. It seemed he was in the pocket of a major crime organization and was worried about betraying them in some way.

It took me a little while, and more than a little fear, to convince him to agree to take the job. Especially with only four hundred dollars as down payment. In the end he could tell that I was more dangerous than any crime lord. And, on top of that, I knew where his family lived. So it was in his best interests to stay in my good graces.

I quickly agreed to the ridiculous sum of money he proposed as the fee. I was growing weary of smelling the blood pounding through his veins, and I didn't want to kill him before he'd made our documents for us.

When we were finally finished, he opened the gate for me – so I didn't have to scale the wall again – and asked me to meet him at a local pub next week to make the exchange. I agreed instantly, eager to be on my way.

As soon as I was out of sight, I sprinted into the trees and dashed back south, toward home.

The clouds chose that moment to open up overhead. Torrential rain poured out of the heavens and in seconds I was completely drenched. The rain was a relief, though. It rinsed away most of the human scent from my clothes and hair. I took a deep, cleansing breath, luxuriating in the sensation of simply breathing without burning.

It seemed to take a very long time to get back to our little cabin in the woods. I'd traveled a lot farther than I'd anticipated on this errand. And I was eager to be back with Alice again.

I thought about her as I raced through the trees. She would surely be pleased. I could imagine how thrilled she would be when I told her the news. She would jump and squeal in feminine, childlike excitement. She might clap her hands together. She might even be so grateful that she'd squeeze me in a tight embrace. I couldn't stop the smile that thought generated.

I wondered what she'd think of the fee. Five thousand dollars was a lot more than we had ever made in a week's time. We would manage it somehow, though. If Alice couldn't think of some way to get the money legitimately, I would get it for her one way or another.

As I drew closer to the cabin the rain let up. I followed one of our previous trails in. Taking another deep breath I drew in Alice's sweet scent, and pushed myself even faster.

I saw our cabin in the distance, there was smoke wafting from the chimney; she must have started a fire. I could hear the light staccato of her footfalls on the hardwood floor, pacing impatiently back and forth in the confined space.

Had she been watching me? Maybe she knew that I'd been successful?

I bounded up to the threshold.

Scarcely had I opened the door when Alice was in my arms, her mouth on mine, her body pressed tight against me. Like a tidal wave, her excitement, love, gratitude, amazement, and admiration crashed over me.

I was completely taken by surprise. I didn't even notice how the door had managed to close behind me. Her hands gripped my hair, pulling my face into hers. Her mouth moved eagerly with mine. Her lips parted and her sweet flavor caressed my tongue. Her intoxicating breath enveloped me.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close, forgetting all else. In that instant, she was all that mattered. She was all that existed. I was lost in a universe where all I knew was the feel of her mouth; the taste of her venom; the scent of her breath; the warmth of her body, radiating heat borrowed from the fire; her fingers gripping my hair. I was so completely absorbed in the moment that it was Alice who had to break the kiss off.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, squeezing me tighter.

I felt a strange need to catch my breath.

"I've been trying to do that for years! How did you manage it?"

My head was swimming. She released me, but I couldn't let go of her yet. I looked down at her, dazed. Then nearly laughed when I noticed that the front of her blouse was soaked through where she'd pressed herself into my drenched clothes.

I finally remembered what it was she was asking about.

"I've found that some humans respond better to fear than to monetary gain." My smile spread into a grin.

I should give her presents more often.


	2. What Happens in Vegas

**Author's Note: This excerpt coincides with "Chapter 29, Proposal" in Full Moon Rising, where you can read this from Alice's point of view. This was very fun to write!**

**If you like it, please leave a few kind words in a review. If you don't, review anyway. Let me know how I can make my stories better!**

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Alice's eyes sparkled as she took in our hotel suite. I'd made sure we were given the nicest room The Flamingo had to offer on such short notice. It was expensive, and it was redolent with the fragrance of human, but it was worth it to feel her delight at being here.

Her eyes lingered first on the fireplace – I knew she would want me to start a fire for her – then they roamed over the huge decorative vases filled with exotic flowers, then admired the oil paintings hanging from the walls. When her eyes finally made it to the obscenely expansive bed, covered with down-stuffed blankets and pillows, she paused. I felt a very familiar emotion flutter within her.

"What would you like to do now?" I asked, keeping my voice carefully even.

She swallowed and hesitated before answering. "Hmm... I think I'll take a hot bubble bath. I've always sort of wanted to try one." Her eyes met mine hopefully, as though she were asking for permission.

"Go right ahead. I'll open the windows and see if I can chase away some of the scent. Would you like me to start a fire?"

She smiled, pleased that I knew her so well. "Sounds perfect."

I kissed her hand and smiled back, then went to open the windows. The human scent out of doors in Las Vegas was potent, but still not nearly as bad as the concentration in our room. My throat ached at the knowledge that we would be trapped here for _days _while we tried to make enough money to pay off our newly-commissioned forger.

The sound of water cascading into the bathtub distracted me, and I smiled. This, pretending to be a human, was where Alice shone the brightest. She would enjoy herself here, in spite of the crowds of delicious humans in the warm gaming halls, swarming around us, brushing into us in the cramped spaces...

I shook off that thought. It wasn't helping my self control at all.

I lit a fire in the hearth, making certain the damper was completely open so the hot air would flow out the chimney, sucking the human scent out and drawing a fresher draft in from outside. Soon the blaze was strong and the curtains were rustling with the light breeze.

In the bathroom the water stopped flowing.

I heard a delicate ripple as Alice stepped into the warm water, the thousands of microscopic explosions as bubbles popped all around her body, the soft contact of her hair against porcelain as she rested her head against the rim of the tub, the silky friction as she grazed one part of her body over another, her contented sigh as the heated water enveloped her skin, embracing every inch of her most intimate parts.

I had to stop myself from visualizing her, then. I found myself absurdly wishing that I could _be_ her bath water.

I flipped my luggage open and snatched out a book that Alice had bought for me. It was a historical work on the Civil War. Normally the subject wouldn't interest me much, despite the fact that I had been an active participant in the subject matter, over eighty years earlier. Nevertheless, the author had put a different spin to it, looking at some events with a fresh perspective. Alice had good taste in books.

I took a couple of steps backwards and, without thinking, sat on the edge of the bed to read.

A powerful cloud of human scent erupted from the mattress, engulfing me, catching me completely by surprise. My throat ripped into flames. I stifled a groan and crawled down to the floor, dragging myself to sit by the open window. The air was a bit cleaner there. I quietly gasped in lung-full after lung-full as the burning slowly subsided, praying to God that Alice wouldn't hear or _see_ any evidence of my distress. Leave it to me to ruin a halfway decent morning with such a thoughtless mistake.

Once my thirst was somewhat under control again I took up the book and started reading to distract myself.

The author did have a fresh perspective on the events I vaguely remembered. I recognized a few names, though most of the people mentioned I had never actually met in person. His writing style was engaging and, after a couple of chapters, I was fairly engrossed.

I heard a heavy slosh from the bathroom as Alice climbed out of the bathtub. I tried not to visualize her warm, wet, naked body steaming and dripping with soapy water...and failed miserably.

I took a deep breath through my mouth to steady myself, added a piece of wood to the fire, and went back to reading, leaning against the wall by the window.

A moment later the bathroom door opened.

I looked up from my book and froze, stunned and speechless. Alice was standing in the doorway, lavender-scented steam billowing behind her. Her hair was damp. A contented smile played on her lips. And she was wearing nothing but an oversized robe that looked dangerously easy to remove.

I tried to compose myself and smiled. "Did you enjoy your bath?"

"Very much. You should take advantage while we're here. It's much more pleasant than scrubbing off in a river."

I knew I was losing it when my mind, without my permission, started twisting everything she said into suggestive innuendos.

She glided across the carpet and lowed herself to the ground next to me while my mind was churning through images of us together in that bathtub for reasons other than bathing. I could feel the heat radiating from her body so close to me, and her scent, more potent than before, seemed to fill the room. What caught my attention the most, however, was the way her robe had fallen open, revealing a tantalizing section of her bare inner thigh.

I tried to concentrate on my book.

"Why aren't you sitting in the bed?" Alice asked.

"It smells very strongly of human. It's probably the worst place to be in this room." I grimaced at the memory.

"Hmmm... That's too bad," she murmured, frowning thoughtfully.

I focused very hard on the book. It wouldn't help my resolve at all to think about why Alice might want to be in that bed with me.

She sat quietly at my side, leaning against the wall and watching the fire. Occasionally her eyes wandered to the curtains rustling in the breeze, the morning sunlight touching my skin.

I couldn't concentrate with her sitting next to me, looking like that, smelling the way she did, watching me the way she was. If I was lucky, I'd read through a whole sentence before my mind would wander back to her.

**...decades of tensions between the northern and southern...**

_She's looking at me again. What is she thinking about?_

**...neighbor against neighbor, and sometimes brother against brother...**

_Her robe is still open. Does she know? Is she doing this to me on purpose?_

**...one of the hardest fought battles, with countless casualties...**

_I can feel the heat coming off of her. She smells so good._

**...however, an immediate counterattack reversed the victory on the...**

_The skin of her thigh looks so soft. If only I could–_

"How do you like your book?" Alice asked, noticing the cover.

"It is interesting," I answered. "But I'm afraid I'm a bit too distracted at the moment to make much progress." I was afraid that I might be showing my hand a bit, but was unable to keep my eyes from flickering down to the tempting patch of exposed skin on her inner thigh.

"Is the scent getting to you?" she asked and glanced down to follow where my gaze had wandered. Yes, I'd definitely shown my hand.

"It's not too bad. I still feel rather bloated from our last hunt."

I went back to concentrating on the book.

Alice's mood shifted to amused and mischievous, a sure sign that she was up to something.

She crept closer to me, nestling into my side. It did not escape my notice that the motion exposed a good deal more of her thigh.

How she _tortured_ me!

I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head, intending to go back to reading immediately thereafter. I buried my nose in her damp, spiky, warm hair, enjoying her sweet fragrance. "You're very warm. And you smell amazing," I murmured.

"Thanks. They have very good soap here. I like the lavender."

"It's not that. You just have a very pleasant scent on your own. It's stronger now, somehow. Maybe from the warmth." I kissed her hair one more time, inhaling deeply. "I like it."

She turned her face up to meet my lips with hers. I leaned down, eager to close the distance between us.

I intended for the kiss to last just a moment. Then I would go back to doing... whatever it was I'd been doing before...

Perhaps it was the warmth of her mouth on mine, heated from her bath. Perhaps it was because she was wearing nothing but a flimsy robe that was failing in it's duty to keep her properly covered. Perhaps it was her scent, so potent and intoxicating. Perhaps it was the emotions – happiness, anticipation, and desire – building so rapidly within her.

Whatever the reason, I did not remove my lips from hers. I kissed her more passionately, deepening the connection. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to _feel_ her.

Something was in my hand. Oh... right... the book. I tossed it aside without another thought and brought my now-free palm up to her face, cupping her satin-smooth cheek while my mouth roamed over hers slowly, devoutly.

Her desire was building, flowing into me. She was begging me with her emotions, more urgently than ever before. I could scarcely remember why I hadn't given her what she wanted yet. She wanted me, she longed for me, she _burned_ for me. It was absurd that I would deny her.

I combed my fingers through her damp hair. Her smooth tongue caressed my lips. I sighed in pleasure, then shifted my weight so I could pull her closer still.

It still wasn't enough. Every second I wanted her more. Every moment she kissed me more eagerly. Her silent pleading continued, softly tearing down my defenses.

Without even thinking about what I was doing, I wrapped my other arm around her waist and pulled her into my lap. Her knees bent, squeezing around my hips. She was startled – though I couldn't fathom how _that_ was possible – but she was also very pleased.

The weight of her body pressing into my lap was exquisite. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her tightly into me, feeling every inch of her pressed against me.

Alice pulled my face to hers in an aggressive, possessive kiss. As though she was claiming me as her rightful property. I was hers, completely and absolutely hers.

The heat of her body was radiating into me. I was suddenly extremely aware that there were only a couple of flimsy layers of fabric separating her intimate, bare flesh from my lap.

I groaned and moved my mouth down to the soft skin of her throat.

Almost as if she was echoing my thoughts, Alice slid her hands to my chest and ripped my shirt open, gliding her fingers down my abdomen, sending electrical waves of pleasure through my whole body. I shuddered at her touch and her hands drifted to my back, tracing light patterns in my skin, sending more waves of pleasure coursing through me.

I grasped her face in my hands and kissed her eagerly, almost fiercely, feeling how intensely happy she was in this moment. My hands stroked down her neck, lovingly caressing her collarbones. Then I gently pushed the front of her robe open, exposing her glorious body. Very slowly, relishing the moment, my hands slid down further, softly adoring every curve of her perfection.

She was nearly drunk with happiness. Her eyes rolled back and she moaned softly at my touch. I leaned in, gliding my hands around her hips and stroking my fingers up her spine. I had never felt such intense happiness from her before. And I fully intended to make her happier still.

That consideration triggered something in my mind, a half-dead glimmer of rational thought.

I did want to make her happier. And... I knew what _would_ make her happier.

I hesitated. "Alice..."

"Don't stop," she whimpered, pleading with me to fulfill all the silent promises I'd been making. The words were beautiful in my ears. How could I refuse her when she begged me in this way?

I groaned, as I warred with myself. I knew she wanted this. And heaven knew I wanted it too. But she deserved to have _everything, _everything I knew she dreamed of even if she didn't realize it yet herself.

"I'm not strong enough to resist you much longer."

"Then don't," she breathed. She slid her hands back up my chest, then took hold of my head and kissed me with such passion I nearly forgot my own name.

I kissed her back eagerly, feeling the delightful pressure of her bare body pressed against mine. It was such a simple, elegant solution. If I couldn't resist her, I should just stop trying. Why hadn't I thought of it myself?

Like a tiny, irritating echo in my head, sanity resurfaced.

_Because there is something that will make her happier._

It felt like I was Atlas, trying to lift up the world, just raising my hands to her face to gently push her away. But I did.

She looked at me, confused.

"Alice, I want you," I panted. "You _know_ how much I want you." Even if she _couldn't_ feel the desires pouring out of me right now – which she most certainly could – the physical evidence was still abundantly clear. "But what I want more is for you to be happy!"

"I am!" she insisted.

"But there is something that would make you _more_ happy," I countered before she could attack me again. "I know you well enough to know that."

"I'm happier now...or ten seconds ago rather...than I've ever been in my entire life!"

I couldn't let this go on. I wasn't strong enough to resist her begging much longer.

"Marry me, Alice." I said the words the moment the thought entered my head.

She froze in place, her mouth slightly open, completely stunned.

"Be my wife and I will be your husband. You can have a wedding ceremony whenever and wherever you want. Make it as big and grand as you like. Hire a designer in Paris to make your dress. Invite hundreds of friends and perfect strangers to attend. Afterwards, we'll go anywhere you want to for our honeymoon. And then, on our wedding night..." I stroked her still-frozen face with my fingertips. "This will make you happy now. But don't try to pretend that wouldn't make you happier later. A hundred years from now...a _thousand_ years from now, you will be glad we did it that way. And we only have this one chance to get it right."

"You just asked me to marry you," she whispered, her lips barely moving.

"You practically coerced me into it," I teased, gesturing to her beautiful body, which was almost completely bare, straddling my lap, and pressing into me in delightfully distracting ways.

I knew full well that I was just as much an instigator of recent events as she was.

She glanced down for an instant, but didn't move. Still too shocked, it seemed.

Even though I couldn't tell what was going on in her mind, and even though she was still too stunned for any other emotions to surface yet. I knew that this was what she really wanted.

I gave her a minute to put it all together. She would understand that, as a human, this is how things would have happened. We would have met. I would be introduced to her parents. I would have asked permission to court her. We would have fallen in love. She would have planned a wedding with her family and friends. We would have declared our love and commitment to the world, promising to become one, forsaking all others. And even though the ceremony – and the party that would certainly follow, knowing Alice – could not make us love one another one whit more than we already did, it would still be very significant. As would waiting to consummate our marriage, cherishing our first physical union, reserving it for it's appointed time. It would be a connection to her lost humanity, almost like having a human memory. And this is what Alice longed for above all else.

I gazed longingly once more upon her breathtaking figure. Then I took in a ragged breath, leaned in, and whispered into her ear. "Will you marry me, Alice?"

She shivered slightly, and snapped out of it.

"Yes, yes, YES! A million times, yes!"

She squealed in delight, a new kind of happiness erupting from inside of her. She flung her arms around my neck, kissing my face all over while I laughed.

"I'm _so _happy! You can't possibly... Well, yes you can, actually... I knew you would... I mean I was pretty sure... But I didn't know when... And now... But how did you...? I didn't _see_! Why didn't I see?"

I continued laughing at her rambling, nearly incoherent joy. I would _definitely_ treasure this forever.

"Snap decision," I answered. "I knew that was the only way I could surprise you. I wanted to ask you eventually, but I couldn't decide to without you seeing it. So I didn't. Not until a moment before the words escaped my lips."

"How clever. I guess that _would_ work," she murmured, leaning back and exposing her devastatingly tempting body to my eyes again.

I cleared my throat. "Um, Alice, if you don't mind... This is really very distracting and my willpower is weakening by the second."

"Oh," she said, as if noticing our compromising situation for the first time. She climbed off of my lap with a small frown. "Maybe I can pull the wedding together quickly."

"That sounds good to me." I couldn't have agreed more. "But I thought you would want to invite the Cullens."

"Right. Darn it. I guess that means I've got over a year to plan. Hmmm..."

She trailed off into thoughtful silence. I could feel the undercurrent of frustrated disappointment lifting as she considered the possibilities of planning our wedding.

She was so still and quiet that, if I hadn't known her as well as I did, I might have thought she'd gone into one of her trances. Then her brow furrowed slightly and I felt the telltale frustration of conflicting desires in her.

I stroked her face and she looked at me.

"What are you thinking about? You're conflicted over something."

She smiled and leaned her face into my hand. "It's okay, I have a long time to consider it. I was wondering if I would rather have it just be our family, or if I really wanted to invite the whole city."

I stifled a laugh, knowing she wasn't joking or even exaggerating. "Whatever you decide will be fine with me. Whatever makes you happy."

She smiled tenderly. "Maybe Peter and Charlotte?" she suggested.

"That's a good idea, I'm sure they would be glad to meet you. But if you invite them I would suggest not including any humans on your guest list. Unless – " I chuckled darkly. " – you intend for them to be the _hors d'œuvre_."

She reached back, snatched a pillow from the chair behind her, and whacked me in the face with it. Downy feathers exploded into the air, floating down around us like snow.

"You know I wouldn't do that!" she scolded. We laughed together.

Impossibly, the feathers drifting around her, alighting in her hair, floating into her robe and against the skin of her exposed legs, somehow made her even more alluring.

I suppressed a groan and closed my eyes as I tried mightily to keep from thinking of all the things we might be doing at that moment if I'd just left well enough alone.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Alice. But I really think you ought to put on something else."

"Okay." She sighed and obligingly went to the bathroom to change.

I took more than a few deep breaths to steady myself while I waited for her to return. I noticed the human scent again, burning dully in my throat. It was amazing how easily I'd been ignoring it just moments ago.

The bathroom door opened again, and this time I did groan.

"What?" Alice asked, honestly confused. She really didn't know what she did to me, did she?

"I'm sorry. It's not your fault. It's just..." I trailed off as my eyes wandered up and down her figure. The garment she was wearing now – I supposed it was classified as a "nightgown" – was of the most delicate, seductive material imaginable: a thin sheath of shimmering light pink silk, falling halfway down her thighs, caressing her skin, highlighting her delicate curves, drawing my eyes along the soft lines of her body to places I would very much like to explore.

"What's wrong?" She was still puzzled.

"That nightgown may be worse than the robe," I confessed, smiling sheepishly.


	3. Maria

"They're coming," Alice whispered at my side. Her eyes we still focused on something far away.

The rest of the family rushed into the room. A wave of fear, anxiety, and a hint of excitement followed them.

The excitement would be Emmett. He was the only one thrilled that Maria and a group of nearly-newborns was descending upon us in mere moments. If only he knew how dangerous they really were.

"They'll be here in two minutes," Alice breathed. "Go quickly."

They hesitated, puzzled that she wasn't rising from the couch. In that moment I felt like a complete cad for asking her stay behind. But I couldn't bring myself to change my mind, either. If it were up to me, I would have demanded that she was a hundred miles a way at least before Maria arrived. Staying inside the house was her attempt at a compromise.

Edward's eyes flashed between Alice and me, reading our thoughts probably. "She's staying here," he announced. "Let's go."

We rushed out onto the lawn and assembled into our formation. I took the point, being the most experienced fighter and also the reason Maria and her dangerous entourage were coming. Edward took my left flank. I knew Maria would put her most skilled fighters on her right and those she cared about least to her left, hoping to crush through her opponents weaknesses and divide their forces. Edward could handle her best fighters, with his mind-reading ability he was equal to me as a fighter.

Emmett took my right flank, where Maria's weaker fighters would attack. True, Emmett was the strongest mature vampire I'd ever encountered. But he was not stronger than these young ones Maria was bringing with her. And though he was a good deal more clear-headed than they would be, his fighting style was crude at best. He'd only ever mock fought with Edward and Carlisle before I came along. And he'd never seen any real action. But he was eager.

Carlisle stood on Edward's other side, reinforcing my left flank where the more skilled fighters would be focusing. Carlisle was a pacifist, but he'd been around for a very long time and he was a fast learner. We'd sparred a few times and even though he was not yet a match for me, he was probably a match for the ones coming now.

Rosalie and Esme stayed in the protected space behind us. Neither of them had any experience in battle. But they were ready to help if it was needed.

Again, I felt like a complete jackass for making Alice sit out. She was completely confident that she could hold her own in a fight. And she'd proved it to me on many, many occasions. But it was one thing to attack your husband playfully, and another entirely to rend another sentient being into pieces with your bare hands.

I knew how dangerous they could be, too. They outnumbered us. She could easily be caught off guard if she were focused on one opponent and another came upon her suddenly. I couldn't risk her being hurt or... _losing_ her like that.

"From the East," Edward said, reading Alice's vision, or perhaps the minds of our visitors. We shifted to face our oncoming foes.

I could feel the anxiety of my family surrounding me. Emmett's building excitement. And, from the house, Alice's frustration and fear.

We could hear their approach, now. Eight distinct footsteps, racing toward us. They slowed a little, then moments later warily emerged from the trees.

Maria was at the point of their formation, walking erectly; the universal sign of peace among warring vampires. I noticed a few new scars peppered over her exposed arms and legs. Nothing that would have been threatening to her life, but it seemed she was having more trouble than usual controlling her newborns.

Her escorts flanked her on either side, spaced wide in a display of confident strength. I scanned their eyes quickly. They had all fed recently. The male taking Maria's right flank was well over his year mark, impossible to tell by his eyes if he was eighteen months or eighteen years old, but by the number of scars he bore and the fact that he was still alive I would guess that he was Maria's new favorite, several years old, and probably her best fighter.

The other males were eleven months, nine months, and twelve months respectively. The stance of their defensive crouches was less than perfect, and they didn't advance with the confident movements of the skilled fighters I'd trained. The females were both a little over a year, I would guess fourteen months but it was hard to tell at that age. They looked more confident and skilled than the younger males.

Maria smiled possessively at me as she advanced slowly into the lawn. Their company paused for a moment as she warily inspecting my family just as I had been sizing up hers. She seemed confused by our strange eye color.

I felt anxious fearful energy in her escorts, the usual prelude to the fight. I sent out a wave of tranquility. Best to defuse that bomb before it had a chance to go off.

Maria's mouth twitched up in a knowing smile and her eye seemed to glint with greed when she felt my influence.

"Maria," I greeted her. "Why have you come here?"

"Jasper." She cocked her head coyly, looking at me like a fond but scolding mother. "You abandoned us so suddenly, I believe you are the one who must explain yourself."

"I left because you were planning to turn on me. And I would rather be on my own than be forced to kill you."

A few of her newborns hissed. In my anger I'd cut off the flow of calm. And they didn't appreciate the apparent cockiness of my statement. They didn't realize that it wasn't arrogance, it was simply the truth. Maria, by herself, was no match for me.

"You're right, Jasper. Of course, you are usually right about things of that nature, aren't you?"

"After I saved you from Nettie and Lucy, after I helped you to destroy them, how could you choose to turn on me?" I didn't miss the little flutter of nervous speculation from the male at her right flank, the slight shifting of his eyes. Something about what I said worried him a bit.

"I was jealous, Jasper. You knew that. I believed it was my own greatness delivering so many victories to our cause. Yes, I wanted to kill you. But I was wrong. I see that, now. Without you, we have nothing. We need you, Jasper!"

"I don't want to go back with you, Maria. I was never more than a tool for you to use. Here, I have a family that cares for me and I for them. There is no war up here in the north, Maria. No one builds armies or launches attack to gain territory. You can leave that world of greed and vendetta behind, if you choose to."

But, at my words, her eyes darkened fiercely with both greed and vendetta.

"Andrés took Monterrey, Jasper. Don't you remember how hard we fought to gain that territory? Don't you remember how glorious it was when we were victorious? We were the most powerful vampires on this side of the world. Feeding five times a day, _ten _times a day if we wished. No one could touch us! You want to leave all that behind? Impossible! Come with me, my old friend. Come and we will reclaim what is rightfully ours."

She waited for my answer.

Behind her, the oldest, most dangerous of her escorts glanced across to a younger companion on Maria's left. They exchanged a look that I understood immediately. Just as it had been with Nettie and Lucy, Maria's greed and boasting was turning others against her. Not that she was entirely oblivious. I felt the undercurrent of desperation in her. She suspected this was coming. She just didn't expect it to happen right now.

I planned my counterattack quickly. If they acted immediately, as I was fairly certain they would, I would quickly take down the oldest one on her right. He looked to be the strongest and most experienced. Then I'd work my way to the left, helping Emmett, since he would be greatly outnumbered and possibly even out-skilled.

I felt a surge of anticipation from Edward. He'd been following my thoughts. Good. We were on the same page.

"No." I spoke softly, but with finality.

Instantly a rush of absolutely terrified rage erupted from behind me.

Before any of us had a chance to move Alice exploded from the house, literally bursting through the living room wall like a battering ram. She dismembered the young one to Maria's left so quickly there was hardly time for him to scream in pain. The next instant she was on the one of the females, ripping her to pieces and sending chunks of her body flying through the air, back into the house. The older male followed the pieces of the female, his emotions wavering between anxiety and disbelief.

The others were recovering from their shock now. I darted in with Edward, Carlisle and Emmett following. I dispatched the other female and helped Carlisle finish the youngest male just in time to see Alice tearing out of the house like a juggernaut and heading straight for the frozen and terrified Maria.

"Stop, Alice!" I roared. Just in time. She froze, a mere ten feet from Maria's wide-eyed frozen form.

Alice glared at Maria, the look on her face was chilling, full of rage and murderous intent. But her eyes were not focused on the present. I tasted Maria's mood. She was terrified, helplessly terrified. And no wonder. Neither of us had ever witnessed a single vampire who was even remotely as deadly and unstoppable as Alice had just proven herself to be.

I slowly stepped toward my wife who was still crouched in an unorthodox but aggressive stance, glaring at Maria with pure loathing. She didn't seem to see me.

I knelt down, placing my hands gently on her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Come back to me, Alice," I pled, gently shaking her slightly.

She blinked, the hateful expression vanished, and she focused on my face.

I held her hand as we both stood. She was frightened for an instant, looking over me quickly. But my clothes weren't even torn. She relaxed.

Everyone else was still staring at her in shock and disbelief. Especially Maria, who stood, still frozen in the very spot where she'd been when the catastrophe had started.

Alice looked around at everyone, smiling sheepishly. Her eyes finally rested on Esme.

"I'm really sorry abut the house," she said.

There were a few pops and snaps of heavy wood cracking under stress. Then with a low groan the house imploded behind us in a cloud of dust and debris.

"What the hell?" Emmet finally blurted, staring at Alice, just like everyone else.

I chuckled. "Didn't you know, Emmett? Alice can take care of herself!"

She beamed up at me, feeling quite pleased with herself but a bit shocked, too. I bent down and kissed her before looking over to Maria.

"Maria," I began.

Her red eyes flashed to my face.

"I'm afraid I will not be coming with you today. And I'll ask you kindly to keep your distance in the future."

She snapped out of it. Her eyes flitted around to the shocked forms of the rest of my family, who we still staring at Alice, and she nodded once. "Of course, Jasper," she breathed, then hesitated before she continued. "If you ever want to come back, even just for a visit..."

"It's not likely to happen. But I wish you well."

Her eyes darted to Alice one more time. She swallowed, nodded to me in parting, and dashed back into the trees.

The rest of the family was still a bit too flustered to say anything for a while. It was Esme, staring at the wrecked pile of her beloved house, who finally broke the silence.

"It looks like we're going to have to move."


End file.
